Ozzie Smith: Fans will honor Aaron over Bonds

'I think people will always consider [Aaron] the legitimate home run king'

Jim Baumbach

2:11 PM EDT, July 25, 2007

Barry Bonds is only three homers from eclipsing Hank Aaron's career mark of 755 and etching his name in baseball's hallowed record books as the reigning home-run king.

But what good is a record if the fans don't recognize it?

The way Ozzie Smith sees it, baseball fans will continue to refer to Aaron as the all-time homer champ because of the steroid cloud that's hovered over Bonds in recent years.

"I don't think it's going to diminish what Hank Aaron accomplished," Smith said earlier today when asked about Bonds' pursuit of No. 755. "I think he'll always be known as the guy, because of the allegations and stuff. I think people will always consider him the legitimate home run king."

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Like so many former ballplayers, Smith admitted to being saddened by the negative publicity connected to steroid era, as well as Bonds' place in the middle of the mess. Smith played against Bonds for 10 years and said he was "one of the best all-around players that I played against, and, to me, a Hall of Famer before all this started. So that really has not changed."

But then records started falling, Bonds hitting 73 home runs in 2001 and now on the verge of career No. 755, and it leaves the people who played in a different era scratching their head.

When Smith was asked specifically for his personal thoughts on Bonds breaking the record, it became clear Smith is conflicted. "He hit them, you know, but I don't know that's part of the problem of this era," he said. "You don't know what's real and what's not. That's what makes it tough."

Although he doesn't work in a visible job such as a big-league coach, Smith is still very much involved in the game he loves. He's currently serving as the honorary chairman of the Aflac All-American game, which pits the nation's best high-school players against each other in an exhibition to raise charity money. And he is teaming up with George Brett and Ryne Sandberg to meet with fans Friday at Doubleday Field in Cooperstown in another event to raise charity money.

Smith heads to Cooperstown tomorrow, and he can't wait for the induction ceremony with Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn in part because, "We need something good." Clearly Smith can't hide his distaste for the negative publicity that has stuck with the game thanks to what so many call "the steroid era."

"It's a sad time and as a baseball fan I'll be glad when it's over, so we can put the focus back where it belongs, on the baseball field," Smith said. "And we need to keep things in place to deter people from doing this again. But technology and stuff, it stays ahead of the curve. It's just an unfortunate time, and as a fan I'll be glad when it's over with."

But when will it end? Bonds could hit those three home runs any day now "I think there certainly will be an isolated celebration except in San Francisco," Smith said -- but will that be the end of this mess? Of course no one has the answer.

Commissioner Bud Selig recently ended months of speculation and announced that he will try his best to be in attendance for the record-breaking home run. Smith said Selig's long wait to decide kept the story in the news, but he didn't blame Selig, saying he's in a "very tough spot."

"With a very prestigious record about to be broken, it's hard for him not to be there," he said. "If he's not there, it speaks volumes to what he thinks about the record." And that's the record, recemember, that Smith believes fans probably won't recognize, anyway.